Ireland is gearing up to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, with many people counting down the hours until the bank holiday weekend begins.
Friday, March 17, is a public holiday in Ireland meaning the vast majority of workers are entitled to paid leave, while schools will also close.
Hundreds of thousands of people are set to enjoy St Patrick’s Day parades across the country, including the national parade in Dublin city centre.
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Anyone looking to stock up for the St Patrick’s Day bank holiday weekend is advised to check shop and supermarket opening hours in advance as many will be operating at reduced hours.
Some have confirmed they will be opening later than usual on Friday and closing early.
Meanwhile, changes have been announced off-licences, including supermarket off-licences, for St Patrick’s Day.
Usually on Friday’s, alcohol can be sold from 10.30am - but that increases to 12.30pm on St Patrick’s Day.
While in Dublin city centre, no off-licences, including supermarket off-licences, will be allowed to sell alcohol in an area from Parnell Square to St Stephen’s Green until 4pm.
The majority of shops are operating either a Sunday or bank holiday schedule across St Patrick’s Day.
Here's all the main supermarkets across Ireland and their St Patrick's Day bank holiday weekend opening hours.
Aldi
All Aldi stores across Ireland operate their Sunday opening hours on bank holidays, which is 9am until 9pm. According to their website, most stores will also continue this into Saturday.
Friday - 9am until 9pm
Saturday - 9am until 9pm
Sunday - 9am until 9pm
You can check your local store here.
Dunnes
All Dunnes Stores shops across Ireland will be running at reduced hours over the St Patrick’s Day bank holiday weekend, with some opening late and closing early.
Most stores will be operating off their Sunday hours which are 9am to 8pm but you can check the official website here for more information on your local store.
SuperValu
Supervalu stores operate individual opening hours, but many are expected to follow their usual Sunday hours over the bank holiday weekend.
This will vary depending on location so customers are advised to check the official SuperValu website here for their local store's opening hours.
Lidl
Lidl will be open from 9am to 9pm on St Patrick’s Day, which is their usual Sunday opening hours.
According to their website, they will return to their normal hours of 8am until 10pm on Saturday.
You can check your local store here.
Tesco
The opening hours of Tesco shops across Ireland vary and this will be the same across the St Patrick's Day bank holiday weekend.
It is expected that stores will operate their usual Sunday hours on Friday, but customers are advised to check with their local store on the online locater here for exact times across the weekend.
It is possible that some stores in the city centre may be closed for a time due to the St Patrick’s Day parade.
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